It just goes to show you, there's probably a museum (and it's probably got a Web presence) for every subject under the sun. You just have to go looking. Whether or not they provide valuable resources is a judgement call you'll have to make.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Museums Celebrating the founder of Mother's Day
It just goes to show you, there's probably a museum (and it's probably got a Web presence) for every subject under the sun. You just have to go looking. Whether or not they provide valuable resources is a judgement call you'll have to make.
Cinco de Mayo: Happy Independence Day!
Aside from being a great day to go out for a little Mexican food, May 5 offers teachers the opportunity to celebrate the ethnic traditions of our neighbor to the south. May 5 is the anniversary of Mexico's declaration of independence from Spain. Your local library is probably rich with print resources about the country, crafts and foods. But the Web can offer interesting resources as well.
The CIA provides their World Fact Book online. Every country you can think of is represented with background information, travel advisories, and other interesting facts. Cross-curricular activities can be created around the maps, photos, and an abundance of ready reference materials. The CIA could be your starting point for any number of fun programs about Mexico or any country. Perhaps your class are spies in training? Travel journalists? Rich and famous travelers exploring the world? Have them make passports as they travel around the world and stamp the passport with Mexican cities or world countries. But if you're working on a Cinco de Mayo lesson, be sure to start with the CIA's background information at https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/mx.html.
Looking for something visual? Maybe a look into Mexico's past? Several museums offer virtual exhibits of Mexican art. For example, Harvard University's Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology has a remarkable collection related to Central America (http://peabody.harvard.edu/node/197). The most remarkable resource on the page is at the bottom, under "Related Links," "Altar Q and Copan." If you click the link, you are taken to a page of further resources; selecting "Altar Q QTVR" links you to a virtual view of the Altar which can be viewed from all angles simply by dragging the image with a mouse. Yale University also includes a collection of Art of the Ancient Americas. Their images, found here: http://artgallery.yale.edu/pages/collection/permanent/pc_artamericas.php#, can be viewed up close or as a thumbnail with details about each piece.
The Cleveland Museum of Art also has a remarkable online exhibit of their Art of the Americas collection, which includes images and descriptions. There are 877 works of art available to view online at http://clevelandart.org/explore/department.asp?deptgroup=13&.
Last but not least, Time for Kids (http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/hh/goplaces/main/0,20344,591663,00.html) and National Geographic Kids (http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/Places/Find/Mexico) have online magazine articles with games, images and other information resources.
Buenos dias!
Looking for something visual? Maybe a look into Mexico's past? Several museums offer virtual exhibits of Mexican art. For example, Harvard University's Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology has a remarkable collection related to Central America (http://peabody.harvard.edu/node/197). The most remarkable resource on the page is at the bottom, under "Related Links," "Altar Q and Copan." If you click the link, you are taken to a page of further resources; selecting "Altar Q QTVR" links you to a virtual view of the Altar which can be viewed from all angles simply by dragging the image with a mouse. Yale University also includes a collection of Art of the Ancient Americas. Their images, found here: http://artgallery.yale.edu/pages/collection/permanent/pc_artamericas.php#, can be viewed up close or as a thumbnail with details about each piece.
Last but not least, Time for Kids (http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/hh/goplaces/main/0,20344,591663,00.html) and National Geographic Kids (http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/Places/Find/Mexico) have online magazine articles with games, images and other information resources.
Buenos dias!
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Still running late this month...
One of my friends asked why I didn't cover National Poetry Month in this blog. Well, frankly, April Showers seem to have wiped all my best laid plans right out of my head. Thanks for the reminder!
My elementary school friends know all about Shel Silverstein's website. I've waxed poetic about it for years (sorry, pun only slightly intentional). I had my son read along to Shel himself reading to help with his fluency. I can't say enough about this site for kids!
For older tweens and teens, the Library of Congress has a Poetry Page that includes information about and by the Poet Laureate of the United States. Additionally, there is a link for "A Poem a Day" for high school students and a featured webcast of poetry readings (often by the poets). I was drawn to the Walt Whitman link to the American Memory collection.
So, I hope this report, though short-but-sweet,
Is better late than never.
And when on this blog next month we meet,
I'll be timely in the endeavor!
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Did you think of The Lorax for activities?
I promise, this will be my last Earth Day post...at least for today. ;)
If you haven't included Dr. Seuss' classic earth-friendly book, The Lorax, you're missing a grand reading opportunity. And a spiffy online presence. The Lorax has his own page (http://www.seussville.com/lorax/) with catchy tunes, an Earth Day countdown clock, activities, puzzlers, tips and news. Kids of all ages will find something inspiring from the spokesperson for the trees (for the trees have no tongues).
One more Earth Day suggestion...
I saw Denise Fleming at the Cleveland Museum of Art on March 1, 2010. She was the keynote speaker for "Picture This: Storytelling and the Arts." Without gushing too much, I have to tell you all that she is a remarkable motivational speaker. Who else could've had 100 adults out of their seats and acting out her book, In the Tall, Tall Grass, at 9:00 on a Monday morning? One of my favorite suggestions that she made was to have kids put googly eyes on inanimate objects (pencils, rocks, you name it!) and put those creatures in unusual places; snap a few pictures; put the pictures together and narrate; and voila! the kids have created a picture book.
If you're unfamiliar with Denise Fleming's picture books, you need to go to the library as soon as possible and check a few out. She's the author and the illustrator. Not remarkable? Well, maybe not, until you consider that all of her art is pulp painting--she embeds the art in each piece of handmade paper that she makes herself at her home in Toledo, Ohio. To paraphrase her, the art is the paper and the paper is the art. While many of her books are set in the great outdoors, In the Tall, Tall Grass and In a Small, Small Pond are particularly appropriate for Earth Day.
Want your class to get hands-on about Earth Day? Make paper!
If you're unfamiliar with Denise Fleming's picture books, you need to go to the library as soon as possible and check a few out. She's the author and the illustrator. Not remarkable? Well, maybe not, until you consider that all of her art is pulp painting--she embeds the art in each piece of handmade paper that she makes herself at her home in Toledo, Ohio. To paraphrase her, the art is the paper and the paper is the art. While many of her books are set in the great outdoors, In the Tall, Tall Grass and In a Small, Small Pond are particularly appropriate for Earth Day.Want your class to get hands-on about Earth Day? Make paper!
Celebrating Mother's Day...Mother Earth, that is!
By this time, I'm sure you all have plans for celebrating Earth Day in your classrooms and school community. But I hope I can add a few recommendations that will help you round out your lesson plans for Earth Day (or week)!
My favorite idea is to make use of the United States' coast-to-coast playground: the National Parks. Their Web Rangers program allows children of all ages to explore all the national parks from Internet-connected computers. The program includes games and puzzles along with many other activities that can be completed to earn rewards; the program even tracks individual progress! I doubt that my family will ever visit Denali National Park in person, but we can experience this unbelievably beautiful park virtually. Participants in the Web Rangers program can earn Junior Ranger patches too! If you can't incorporate a whole lesson plan on this short notice (again, sorry; April got away from me), maybe you can make the Web Ranger program available as a reward during down time or as a lesson in using technology. Maybe you'll send home a flyer with information for families to explore together either at home or at the local public library. At any rate, please be sure to check out the Web Ranger program here: http://www.webrangers.us/index.cfm.
eMINTS (enhancing Missouri's Instructional Networked Teaching Strategies) has a page full of links to resources about Earth Day. Be sure to check it out at http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00000072.shtml.
An award winning Earth Day resource is the Canadian "EcoKids" site http://www.ecokids.ca/pub/index.cfm). Resources for students and teachers are easily accessible and include games, activities and challenges. This is a visually appealing site and is rich in resources.
For future reference, the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., is in the process of creating a "Green Community Teaching Kit." When it's unveiled, the kit will allow teachers and their students to create a Green Community from the ground up. It's intended to be reused each year. Basic information about the program is available here: http://www.nbm.org/schools-educators/educators/green-community-teaching-kit/green-community-teaching-kit.html; to request an email (or snail mail) with more information about the kit and the program visit this link: http://bit.ly/aGdnko.
My favorite idea is to make use of the United States' coast-to-coast playground: the National Parks. Their Web Rangers program allows children of all ages to explore all the national parks from Internet-connected computers. The program includes games and puzzles along with many other activities that can be completed to earn rewards; the program even tracks individual progress! I doubt that my family will ever visit Denali National Park in person, but we can experience this unbelievably beautiful park virtually. Participants in the Web Rangers program can earn Junior Ranger patches too! If you can't incorporate a whole lesson plan on this short notice (again, sorry; April got away from me), maybe you can make the Web Ranger program available as a reward during down time or as a lesson in using technology. Maybe you'll send home a flyer with information for families to explore together either at home or at the local public library. At any rate, please be sure to check out the Web Ranger program here: http://www.webrangers.us/index.cfm.
eMINTS (enhancing Missouri's Instructional Networked Teaching Strategies) has a page full of links to resources about Earth Day. Be sure to check it out at http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00000072.shtml.
An award winning Earth Day resource is the Canadian "EcoKids" site http://www.ecokids.ca/pub/index.cfm). Resources for students and teachers are easily accessible and include games, activities and challenges. This is a visually appealing site and is rich in resources.
For future reference, the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., is in the process of creating a "Green Community Teaching Kit." When it's unveiled, the kit will allow teachers and their students to create a Green Community from the ground up. It's intended to be reused each year. Basic information about the program is available here: http://www.nbm.org/schools-educators/educators/green-community-teaching-kit/green-community-teaching-kit.html; to request an email (or snail mail) with more information about the kit and the program visit this link: http://bit.ly/aGdnko.
April 15, already?!
Where has April gone?! I thought about adding to the blog, thinking April was yet to begin, and boom! it's almost Tax Day. So sorry.
My plan was to remind everyone that the Baseball Hall of Fame has remarkable cross-curricular activities. Be sure to revisit them; now's the time, since the first pitch of the 2010 season has already been thrown! Use their online thematic units (http://education.baseballhalloffame.org/experience/thematic_units/index.html) or explore their online exhibits (http://baseballhall.org/museum/exhibits/online-exhibits). You won't be disappointed!
Of course, April 15 is Tax Day. And I realize I'm really late providing this information...but if you're still looking for money lessons, USA.gov has a plethora of resources listed at http://www.kids.gov/k_5/k_5_money.shtml (for grades K-5), http://www.kids.gov/6_8/6_8_money_spend.shtml (for grades 6-8), and http://www.usa.gov/Topics/Teens.shtml#Money (for teens). From the Kids.gov main page (http://www.kids.gov/), there is a tab with resources for educators.
My plan was to remind everyone that the Baseball Hall of Fame has remarkable cross-curricular activities. Be sure to revisit them; now's the time, since the first pitch of the 2010 season has already been thrown! Use their online thematic units (http://education.baseballhalloffame.org/experience/thematic_units/index.html) or explore their online exhibits (http://baseballhall.org/museum/exhibits/online-exhibits). You won't be disappointed!
Of course, April 15 is Tax Day. And I realize I'm really late providing this information...but if you're still looking for money lessons, USA.gov has a plethora of resources listed at http://www.kids.gov/k_5/k_5_money.shtml (for grades K-5), http://www.kids.gov/6_8/6_8_money_spend.shtml (for grades 6-8), and http://www.usa.gov/Topics/Teens.shtml#Money (for teens). From the Kids.gov main page (http://www.kids.gov/), there is a tab with resources for educators.
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